Defense technology startup Anduril is set to acquire the US Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program from Microsoft, marking a new chapter in military augmented reality technology.
Palmer Luckey, Anduril's founder and former Oculus VR creator, announced the takeover with ambitious plans to revolutionize battlefield technology. "Tactical heads-up-displays that turn warfighters into technomancers and pair us with weaponized robotics were one of the products in the original Anduril pitch deck," Luckey stated in his blog post.
The IVAS system combines night vision, thermal imaging, and soldier-borne sensors into an augmented reality heads-up display, providing real-time battlefield information and drone detection capabilities to soldiers.
Microsoft's departure from the project comes after a series of setbacks. The tech giant initially secured a $22 billion contract in 2021 to produce over 120,000 headsets, but the project faced multiple challenges. Military testers reported issues including headaches, nausea, and eye strain, with 80% of users experiencing symptoms within three hours. Additional concerns emerged about the device's light emission potentially revealing soldiers' positions to enemies.
These problems led Congress to slash funding dramatically, reducing a requested $400 million budget to just $40 million for improved development in 2023. Microsoft will now shift its focus to cloud and AI technology support for the platform.
The deal still requires Department of Defense approval, but Luckey appears confident about the transition. Drawing inspiration from science fiction, including Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers," he envisions transforming military operations through advanced augmented reality technology.
For Luckey, this acquisition represents a personal milestone. "I've believed there would be a headset on every soldier long before there is a headset on every civilian," he wrote, referring to his early work on the Army's BRAVEMIND project before founding Oculus.